To me, holistic living means taking care of and nurturing my whole being – my body, my heart, my mind and my soul.

It also means that I live by my own rules, my own truths and what works best for me. However, I am flexible enough to adapt to change and embrace growth.
I suppose for most of us this sounds like hard work and too much effort. And the sceptics among us would probably say, “Is it realistic to think that we can achieve balance in this crazy world?”.

One thing we need to know is that creating a holistic lifestyle and letting go of old beliefs are painful on all levels. You need a strong heart, that’s for sure!

I recently had a relationship change. I was forced to look at my relationship patterning, where it comes from and how to stop repeating the same mistakes. My body reacted with debilitating lower back pain and sore kidneys. My feelings were in turmoil: It varied between crying fits and red rage. My thoughts went into self-analysis, over-analysis, and ended up in confusion of the worst kind. And my poor soul suffered too – well, I took it to the extreme and questioned my purpose, “Why I am here? Is my purpose in this lifetime to make a relationship work?”.

To balance all these aspects of you – a living, breathing, feeling, loving human being - requires introspection and the courage to jump in and just do it! Do what, you may ask? Change for the better.

But how does one live holistically in practical terms?

It is very simple. Get to know yourself better: What do I like and what don’t I like? Discover your strengths and weaknesses. Honour your light and dark side. Make small changes to your home and environment, diet, thoughts and perceptions to set you on the path to wholeness and balance. And just stop and stare.

On a physical level, learn to appreciate your body and listen to the signs. Our bodies are constantly sending us messages. If there is an imbalance of some sorts, you will feel it in your bones.

On an emotional level, let go of the feelings you do not need and do not serve you. Be discerning about what really upsets you and what is just not worth wasting energy on.

On a mental level, get rid of perceptions, belief patterns, conditioning and judgment. Full your head with positive thoughts and stop negative thinking in its tracks.

On a spiritual level, spend time in nature, look at the stars often and don’t stop dreaming. And contemplate and cement your purpose.